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I will be closing this blog down and opening a new one else where because there is a blogger http://aimeerenee16.wordpress.com/ who is stealing my content and video and using it as her own. She is also making up posts that relate to my posts. I have contacted support but it is a lengthy process. Easier to start over. It is unfortunate there are people in this world, that have no life of their own and have to poke fun at someone else’s work. People like that disgusts me.

I am thankful that Jazzmine came into my life. She started out as this stubborn mare. People thought she could never be trained. You never knew how she was going to act from day to day. I even almost gave up hope on her myself. But then I started thinking…this is one horse who has never had a sense of stability. Being the alpha mare, she watched each and every one of her herd members get stripped away, never to return. Her job as alpha is to protect the herd. Even that she failed. She sat in a paddock for 2 years by herself, with no friends, no family. When I got her delivered to me, she had dreadlocks, was dirty, and in desperate need of an attitude adjustment. Not long after she arrived, she got kicked out of the boarding place for being considered “a dangerous and aggressive horse.” I was devastated! What am I supposed to do with this mare that most boarding places won’t take?

We finally found a place for her, a place she considers home now. She has a few buddies Chester and Winston, a couple of admirers from across the fence, and a caring staff (well besides me and my bf Sean). As soon as we arrived, her attitude changed. It’s amazing what a different environment can do for a horse. We still have our trying days, but for the most part, Jazz wants to be a good horse. She has potential to be a great horse. We finally got her to lunge (which she wouldn’t do at the other ranch), and even rode her bareback a couple of times. She is catching on to her cues and I believe with time and patience, she will be an amazing horse.

Life at the new ranch has been a calm one. She loves attention, and all the kids adore her. They muck her stall, and she doesn’t even care. This was a horse who was thought to be aggressive and dangerous. Put yourself in her shoes. If you had your family and friends taken away, one by one, you’d be a little sour too. These are my own thoughts, but I believe Jazz is a really strong spirited horse because she had to be. She has a lot of courage, and does not give up easily. A very smart girl, a very stubborn girl at times. But once you gain her trust and her heart, she is yours forever. It’s a lot of work, but we are slowly getting there.

I see her progress each and every day. And all it took is for someone to believe and encourage her. Imagine how far she can go with time. This is one girl who tries to be better with each learned skill. Every day spent with Jazz is a learning experience and good therapy too. She just understands when I look into her eyes, I don’t even have to speak (could be my own imagination, haha). But you hear a lot of animal lovers say that, so we can’t all be wrong! Horses can feel your energy. They just know. That is how they communicate, and it makes it all worthwhile when she gives me a “horse hug” at the end of the day. I guess I need her, just as much as she needs me. I will continue to give her as much love, discipline, and encouragement as she may need….because she gives me strength for every day. I am going to end this post with one of my favorite horse quotes from Sharon Ralls Lemon, “the essential joy of being with horses, is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire.”

So I thought to myself, “I should start a blog about me and my horse Huck.” I renamed him Lightning Hopkins (after the blues musician). He has seen a lot of blues in his 5 or so years. It’s just hard for me to call him Lightning Hopkins. I’ve been calling him “Huck” ever since the thought of purchasing him crossed my mind. My boyfriend suggest I call him “Lightning” when I ride western and “Hopkins” when I ride english. We will see.

I toyed with the idea of buying my very own horse for the first time about a year ago. Looked at hundreds of horses, possibly thousands. It was kind of an obsessive habit for awhile. Until one day I saw an ad on craigslist. I immediately fell in love with him and knew he was going to be mine. I continued my horse search but always kept him in my heart. I did everything opposite of what I read and from advice all my horse people told me…never buy a horse blindly! I purchased him in June, without even seeing him in flesh. But I have a good feeling that he is perfect for me and I trust the seller. I am currently working on getting him home. He is only 3 hours away, but I have no truck and trailer and that issue is another story in itself.